Diagramming Yoda...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 06:10PM Quick homeschooling thoughts...
1. I have a new-found respect for all teachers. (Okay, it's not really new-found...I've thought this for years, but it's worth mentioning again.) I can't imagine trying to make lessons "personal" for 25+ students...it's hard enough for three. (See my earlier post about trying to remember why I'm doing a lesson rather than just doing the lesson.) For those who manage, hats off to you!
2. The boys and I have been working our way through First Language Lessons for our grammar studies. This particular curriculum and I have a love-hate relationship. I've tried it. Stopped. Tried again with a different level. Stopped. And now find myself using both Level 1/2 (the original combined book) and Level 3. I'm still not thrilled, but it's been working better than anything else we've tried. In any case, the older two boys and I have been learning aplenty about diagramming sentences...something I've previously scoffed as unnecessary. I still don't know when in life one might use this skill, but do now recognize that the process is a useful teaching tool.
3. In diagramming sentences, though, I really have to wonder how much work it would be to diagram all of Yoda's dialogue in any given episode of Star Wars. (Yes, we're still Star Wars crazy here...it's rubbing off on me.) Hmmm. Methinks that may be an awesome assignment... ;) (Probably not the whole episode, though, lol.)
Reader Comments (2)
That sounds like a brilliantly fun way to get the point across and have it stick! I fight the urge to have them just finish another couple pages in whatever workbook they have and really have to work at making sure they have fun, engaging and still educational activities to break up the paper work! And mine are still little!
I have been forever grateful that my schooling included intense work in diagramming. It really sets the foundation for learning writing skills and proper grammar. I've often wished that my younger staff members had been exposed to that. Seems that many of the younger-than-me generation can't write proper sentences and I think that texting is going to make it worse. So...kudos to you for diagramming with the boys...they'll thank you later!
In cleaning out G'ma Christine's closets this week, I came across English texts from when my Dad was in school. Might still be useful. Do you want them?